Ohio State is 10 practices into preseason camp, and though there’s not yet clarity on the quarterback battle, there is progress elsewhere on the roster.
The offensive line rotation looks like it’s coming into picture, as does the safety grouping.Nearly two weeks into camp, this is a good time for a depth chart update.
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Quarterback
Starter: Kyle McCord OR Devin Brown
Backup: Tristan Gebbia
One day it seems somebody has an advantage, and the next time you see them, they don’t. I’ve been pretty set on McCord being the guy, but there’s not a big gap there. It’s obviously small enough for coach Ryan Day to roll with this battle for another week, at least. Will that finally be enough for Day to call it? We’ll see, but right now this battle is tied.
I will say, Lincoln Keinholz has looked the part entering his first camp. He has a good arm, a little wonky baseball release, but he’s made a strong impression in just a few months on campus and weeks on the actual field.
Running backs
Starter: TreVeyon Henderson
Backup: Miyan Williams
Any time Day is asked about the running backs, he goes back to how good Henderson has looked. That should tell you a lot about where the former freshman All-American is heading into the season. But that doesn’t diminish the depth there. Williams will be the backup. He wasn’t on the field last week when the media had access, but Day said that’s not a big deal. Williams will be the perfect partner for Henderson.
Beyond those two, we’ve heard Evan Pryor’s name a lot, as well as Chip Trayanum. Then there’s also Dallan Hayden, who has been strong. Ohio State will likely rotate those three, giving them a chance in different scenarios.
Wide receivers
Starters: Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming
Backups: Jayden Ballard, Carnell Tate and Xavier Johnson
What else is there to say about this group? If there’s a conversation about the best receiving corps in the country, it begins at Ohio State. Harrison has been great, and Egbuka has stepped up as a vocal leader. Beyond the obvious starters, though, here’s a few other guys who have stepped up in camp. Brandon Inniss has shown flashes of his five-star talent, but man, Noah Rogers has had some impressive catches. Bryson Rodgers just lost his black stripe marking him as a freshman, which should tell you how the staff feels about him. Tate is still making plays too.
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This freshman class is the real deal. It can be special.
Tight End
Starter: Cade Stover
Backup: Gee Scott Jr. OR Joe Royer
Not much has changed here. New tight ends coach Keenan Bailey wants to rotate more this season, giving Stover a chance to rest and be as effective in Week 12 as in Week 1. My biggest question is if Ohio State use freshman Jelani Thurman in the red zone?
Left tackle
Starter: Josh (Jimmy) Simmons
Backup: Tegra Tshabola
Simmons, a San Diego State transfer, arrived on campus in early May and has acclimated to the Buckeyes system quickly. He spent a lot of time watching last year’s film, before he could even get on the field, with graduate assistant Mike Sollenne. That helped him attack camp at full speed, which has given Ohio State a better sense of what it wants to do at tackle. Senior lineman Josh Fryar said he was impressed right away with Simmons’ athleticism. That’s exactly what you want at left tackle. One of Ohio State’s latest transfer portal additions may end up being one of the most influential.
Left guard
Starter: Donovan Jackson
Backup: Austin Siereveld
Jackson has this position on lock, but Siereveld has had a good camp, coming off a strong spring. He’ll get some second-team reps in games this year, which is good for the future of the offensive line.
Center
Starter: Carson Hinzman
Backup: Victor Cutler Jr.
Hinzman has had a hold on the position since the spring. He’s bulked up, is now just under 300 pounds and seems to have a grasp of the mental aspect of center. The impressive thing this camp has been Cutler’s emergence. The Louisiana Monroe transfer arrived on campus in January and was thrown into the fire at center. Away from home for the first time and having the expectations of Ohio State football thrust on him, he struggled, but he’s since locked back in. I caught up with him Tuesday after practice, and he said he was dealing with some personal things during the spring, but has since felt in a better space both physically and mentally. Even if Cutler doesn’t win the center battle, and I don’t think he will, he will be a versatile force for the Buckeyes in the future. He has two years of eligibility left.
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Right guard
Starter: Matt Jones
Backup: Enokk Vimahi
Not much has changed here. Jones is the guy, and Vimahi remains, in my mind, the sixth offensive lineman on the roster. If somebody goes down, he’ll be the first to be asked to step in.
Right tackle
Starter: Josh Fryar
Backup: Luke Montgomery
OK, a couple of things.
Fryar spent all spring at left tackle before he was asked to move to right tackle for camp. He was fine with the change, and though that might be a tough adjustment for some, it won’t be for Fryar. He played right tackle last year so it shouldn’t be much different for him.
Second, the fact that Montgomery has jumped Zen Michalski for the backup role says a lot. Montgomery is making an impression on everybody. Now, it’s not as simple as saying that if Fryar goes down, Montgomery will move in. Tshabola played right tackle in the spring as well. But Montgomery is in a position to receive crucial second-team in-game snaps and is a couple of injuries from playing major snaps.
Defensive end
Starters: JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer
Backups: Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry
Tuimoloau and Sawyer remain the leaders, with young playmakers Jackson and Curry ready to make their second-year jumps.
Defensive tackle
Starters: Ty Hamilton and Mike Hall
Backups: Tyleik Williams and Tywone Malone
Before Ohio State got Malone, the transfer from Ole Miss, it looked like Jaden McKenzie and Hero Kanu would fill the void on the second team. They had good spring game performances, but had been up and down. Enough so that Ohio State went and got Malone, who should be competing for snaps this season. We’re still watching to see if McKenzie can push Malone for the spot, but as of now, it looks like Malone has a hold on it.
Linebacker
Starter: Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers
Backups: Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks
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From a depth view, Ohio State’s spring was huge for the linebackers.
Eichenberg and Chambers are the leaders, but what might have once looked like a top-heavy position now has backups like Simon and Hicks. People inside the program are raving about them. Simon who was one of the Saturday scrimmage standouts.
So while the starters haven’t changed, the depth Ohio State has built is a huge plus.
Cornerbacks
Starters: Denzel Burke, Jordan Hanco*ck OR Davison Igbinosun
Backups: Jyaire Brown and Ryan Turner
Burke has laid claim to one of the corner spots. It’s locked in. The question has been who will play opposite of him, and I’m not sure there’s a simple answer.
Hanco*ck has had a good camp, same as Ole Miss transfer Igbinosun. The Buckeyes have a true three-man starter rotation at corner. Depending on matchups, Hanco*ck could start one game and then Igbinosun start another.
There’s also a chance, with Hanco*ck cross-training at nickel, of seeing a three-corner alignment, with Burke and Igbinosun on the outside and Hanco*ck at nickel.
I like this group so far, though. Even Brown, who isn’t getting a lot of praise, has had a good offseason. It’s early, yes, but this corner group has a chance to change the narrative of last season.
Safety
Starters: Sonny Styles (Nickel) Lathan Ransom (Bandit) and Ja’Had Carter (Adjuster)
Backups: Cameron Martinez, Josh Proctor, Malik Hartford OR Kye Stokes
That starting trio is a dangerous group, mainly because of its versatility. Three players could start at each of their teammates’ positions. Sometimes, you have to find the best rotation and make it work, and that’s what Ohio State has here. The amount of things you can do with Styles, Carter and Ransom on the field has to be exciting for the staff.
GO DEEPERInside Sonny Styles' rapid growth to being Ohio State's next big thingStill, I expect plenty of snaps for Martinez, who had a good spring. He’ll get a chance to impact the game, and more than in blowouts with the second-team guys. The true freshman Hartford has been making a name for himself already, and he’s put some good performances together during camp. Safety coach Perry Eliano wants to get six safeties, plus one. Could Hartford be that guy?
(Photo of Kyle McCord: Jason Mowry / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Cameron Teague is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Ohio State Buckeyes. Before joining The Athletic, he worked as a features writer for The Columbus Dispatch and a beat writer covering Louisville football for the Courier Journal. He’s a graduate of Bowling Green State University. Follow Cameron on Twitter @cj_teague
